The Rout of Ash
The Rout of Ash takes place sometime before The Ultimate Game, detailing a recount of a skirmish between the Coalition's forces and the Arch Demon's forces. It can be found here. Characters * Celine * Dr. Corvus D. Clemmons Story Details This story explores the unsung story of the fall of the planet of Ash through the first-person narrative of Celine, a soldier in her early 30s describing the fall of one of the Coalition's planets on the onset of the Arch Demon War. It starts with a medical interview between Dr. Corvus D. Clemmons, a regular doctor of the Coalition staff, and Corporal Celine, a survivor of the invasion of Ash. Soon, and throughout the majority of the story, Celine recalls her account of operating within the planet of Ash. Ash served as a frontier against the Arch Demon, on the far reaches of the Coalition's control on the hyperverse. Hosting a large military presence and millions of settlers, Ash was seen by the Coalition as beacon of success, despite the icy planet being largely left to isolation and self-sufficiency. Celine recounts about how Outpost Delta, early in the morning, received disturbing reports of large movements from the nightly scouts that operate about half a mile east of the settlements. Each outpost within Ash had trenches, usually east or west, overlooking down valleys to fend off waves of Suffering or Crossed. Sending a large squadron to investigate, Celine reports how the trenches looked "scarred and burned" with "no living contacts" present in the area. It is around this time that what sounds like a war horn is echoed, later discovered by Coalition to be the wails of the Deacons. Celine details about how her regiment were severely unequipped to deal with the varied monsters and abominations, her training meant to kill Crossed and Suffering efficiently. Eventually, after volleys of Bile Archers and the charge of Hell Hussars, the 545th Regiment, Celine included, began what is known as the "Rout of Ash". Other outposts beyond Delta were simultaneous hit, and according to Celine, by the end of a full day-night cycle, the entire planet of Ash was overrun and glassed. At the end of the story, Dr. Corvus begins to prescribe Celine with a set of medications and treatments to alleviate her stress and PTSD. Celine denies it rudely, spiting the Coalition for their arrogance and use of the fall of Ash as a simple morale boast. The story promptly ends with Celine storming out of the Coalition, one of the few survivors of the fall of Ash. Trivia * The story switches between first and third person narratives. * This story details one of the first encounters between the Coalition and the Arch Demon in terms of military forces. It also details the first account of Coalition forces meeting servants of the Arch Demon that are not the Crossed or Suffering. * It is the first report of Deacons, Bile Archers, and Hell Hussars being documented by the Coalition. * An iconic catchphrase "Remember the Ash" spawned from the fall of the planet, the Coalition using it is a morale boast in fighting the Arch Demon War. The fall of Ash also signaled a change of tactics and weaponry used by the Coalition to combat new targets. Category:Side Stories